In this worksheet, we have a set of data without formatting. To illustrate how undo and redo work, I’ll make some changes to the worksheet. But first, notice that I’ve set up the Quick Access Toolbar to show the Undo, Redo, and Repeat commands. This will make it easier to see and understand the history of changes. First, I’ll add a formula to calculate total price… Next, I’ll apply currency formatting to the Unit Price and Total columns. Finally, I’ll apply a light gray border to the entire table. Now if we check the Undo command on the ribbon, we’ll see each change listed. I can use this dropdown menu to go undo all 4 changes. Then I can use the dropdown under redo to redo all 4 changes. Excel keeps a record of the last 100 changes in the file, so this is a powerful way to move back in time, if you make a mistake. The shortcut for Undo is Control + Z on Windows, Command + Z on a Mac. Each time I use the shortcut, Excel moves back one step. The shortcut for Redo is Control + Y on Windows, Command + Y on the Mac. Just like Undo, each time I use the shortcut, I step forward one step. So, remember that you can use the shortcuts for Undo and Redo multiple times to step backwards and forwards through your changes. The repeat command works a bit differently. It allows you to perform the same command again with a simple shortcut. The shortcut for repeat is f4 or Control + Y on Windows and Command + Y on a Mac. Not all commands can be repeated, but those that can will cause the repeat button to be enabled in the quick access toolbar. So, for example, the last thing we did was apply a border, so I can use repeat shortcut to apply the same border to the the summary table. And if I apply a fill to this header row, I can use repeat for that as well. But, if I add a formula to summarize sales by color using SUMIF function… The Repeat command is not available. You can use the repeat shortcut for a variety of actions, including formatting, inserting sheets, and deleting rows.
Dave Bruns
Hi - I’m Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.
